The Balkan Aid Relief
Foundation
( B A R F) started
as a bunch of Land Rover enthusiasts who wanted to do an annual aid convoy
to Bosnia Herzegovina. Whereas, we initially worked with the British
Army contingent of N A T O ( S F O R ), BARF has now become a more organised entity and has,
since 2000, been
working with a local Non Governmental Organisation (NG0), Genesis Project.
This has greatly increased our effectiveness as Genesis are based in Banja
Luka and are the leading NGO in the country. They receive funding from the
European Union, The Canadian Government, UNICEF and other multi-national
institutions. Gensis help us with the difficulties in obtaining Customs
clearance at the port of entry to Bosnia, Bosna Gradiska, as well as
advising as to where the aid should be best distributed.
Nonetheless Land Rovers still play an important part in BARF's work and adventurous owners willing to spend up
to two weeks living and working in often difficult conditions are always
wanted to join us on aid convoys.
BARF will supply you with the
trailer, but if you have something suitable so much the better, and the
aid. Volunteer drivers just have to be prepared to bring their vehicle and
themselves and give up their time to join us on a very worthwhile and
fulfilling task.
If you are interested in coming on a BARF aid convoy please email
Neil Newitt for further information.
What
is an aid convoy like?
Don't
be under the assumption that an aid run is a holiday, it isn't.
The distance from Dover to Banja Luka is just under 1,300 miles and
usually takes us around 4 1/2 days providing nothing too much happens to
the vehicles. Punctures are far from unknown. We have taken prop shafts
off, changed head gaskets etc. Most people sleep in their Land Rovers or in
roof tents, often in snow
and sub-zero temperatures. On the December '98 aid run Neil and Simon
Newitt were lucky to escape with their lives when their borrowed, decrepit trailer
started to disintegrate. The trailer swung their Land Rover
Defender 90 round 180 degrees and towed the vehicle backwards down the
autobahn before hurling the Land Rover backwards and sideways into a crash
barrier at 40mph. The Defender rolled to 60 degrees before miraculously
landing back on its wheels. Had they been in any vehicle less substantial
they would both have been killed. Amazingly both escaped without any
injuries and drove the battered Land Rover (minus it's trailer) onto Bosnia to complete their
mission.
Problems with border posts are commonplace. However, things have
improved of late. Slovenia joining the European Union was a great help
as this did away with one set of Customs formalities. Whereas, we had
been known to be stuck for 12 - 15 hours, now we sail straight through.
Croatia, whose Customs
Officials who used to go out of their way to make life as difficult as possible,
are now much more amenable and we have cut the delays down to 1 hour or
so. It is absolutely essential to have correct Customs
Documentation, but after 9 years we have become quite good at it but however carefully you prepare the rules
can change.
The weather in Bosnia is somewhat more extreme than we are used to in
the UK. Summers can see temperatures in the mid 40 degrees Celsius and during the winter
there is a lot of snow and overnight temperatures of -30
degrees Celsius are possible. These conditions make working very
difficult. The cold saps your strength and your energy. It is so cold that
the Land Rovers are difficult to start, diesel fuel freezes, when the
trailers are parked at the base overnight the brakes freeze on and the
only way to unfreeze them is to heat up the wheels with blow torches,
Knots on the roof rack ropes become solid balls of ice and it can take up
to half an hour just to undo one knot. Camera, torch and vehicle batteries drain and you
are constantly cold, wet and tired.
Emotionally we are surrounded by the destruction,
devastation and deprivation of one of the bloodiest wars Europe has
seen. An aid run to Bosnia is tiring, hard work and harrowing, but
it is also a life changing experience you will remember for the rest of your
life. |
